My One
by Qwaskie
Summary: There's always the question: Who is the one? The one you're meant to be with, how do you know that they are the one for you? Do you know right away or at all? Annabeth is trying to find her one but doesn't know what she's looking for or what she should expect. (No gods/demigods soulmate AU.)


Disclaimer: I own nothing all rights to Rick Riordan.

"Annie, come out and let's see."

Annabeth looks at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and sighs. Her hair was pinned into an elegant bun with a few strands loose and curled, tickling the base of her neck. She had little makeup: a light blush on her cheeks, neutral eye shadow colors over her lids, a simple light brown eyeliner and mascara. A midnight blue dress with a sweetheart neckline drops down to just above her knees with a sheer overlay accents the dress, tied at the waist by a sash. A simple silver necklace falls around her neck with the pendent of an owl, a gift from her mother.

"I still can't believe your making me wear dress." Annabeth calls through the closed bathroom door, "can't I wear something more comfortable?"

"No, your idea of comfortable is sweatpants and an ugly, baggy sweatshirt. Plus it's my engagement party, my rules. You're my best friend and you love me, you gotta follow the rules," Piper responds.

"But Thalia's not wearing a dress." Annabeth counters as she cracks open the door and peaks out.

"Actually...I am" A woman steps into the room with, her black hair combed yet still spiked. Her eyeliner thick and her eyes electric. Her dress is simply black with a v-neck and drops to the knees the edges almost look raggedly torn but stylish.

"Thalia, you look amazing, but you'd look better if you put a smile on your face." Piper circled Thalia critiquing her and smoothing out her dress.

"I don't like dresses, don't get used to it." she flatly replied.

"Well we're in the same boat" Annabeth fully emerges from the bathroom. "What did she do to convince you wear that?"

Piper turned and squealed when she saw Annabeth rushing over to fuss once more as Thalia replied, "I won't ever have to hear about her romantic adventures with my brother anymore."

Piper scoffs while fixing some pins in Annabeth's hair, "we used to love to gossip about this stuff, why last night we started had a movie night and ended up acting out the scenes together."

"Nope. Nope. Nope. I'm not listening. LA! LA! LA! LA!" Thalia shouted with her hands over hear ears.

Annabeth snickered until she saw something out of the corner of her eyes. Upon looking at it more closely she turned to Piper, mouth pressed in a firm line. "No way in Tartarus am I wearing those shoes. I'm wearing a dress, I'm wearing makeup, I did my hair all nice and pretty, there's no way I'm wearing six inch heels."

This time it was Piper's turn to snicker, "what's the matter Annie, afraid you're going to fall?"

"Yeah afraid she's going to fall into someone's arms and get the love bug." Thalia added. A sharp glare was sent their way as Annabeth scoffed.

"Please, like I'm going to fall in love with someone by falling into their arms."

"But you could meet someone and fall into their arms. Plus, it's been a while since you went on a date." Thalia countered.

"Or I could just meet someone without falling onto them by avoiding those zombie killer heels."

"Oh my gods Annabeth, what if you meet the one tonight. Jason's got tons of guy friends and one of them could be your soulmate, your one. You have to wear the heels." Piper squealed and gushed while Annabeth pondered the idea of a soulmate and searched for a decent pair of shoes to wear.

She wasn't sure she believed in predetermined couples, her own parents had failed as her mother left shortly after Annabeth was born to pursue her job. After that her father remarried shortly after that and they seem to be happy but not necessarily soulmates. Annabeth picked up a lone gray shoe, maybe it was possible to be a one-sided soulmate. How would you know if you were someone's "one" or not. Is it a feeling, is it a vision? Or is it just craziness. The idea of soulmates went outside the realm of logic.

"Everyone knows soulmates don't exist. You are your own soulmate, you have to make yourself happy." Thalia's words cut into Annabeth's thoughts. Maybe she was right and Annabeth was focusing on the wrong thing, Maybe waiting for some random feeling was foolish. She picked up a pair of dark blue, two inch heels with straps crossing around the ankle and down the foot.

"That's not true, I knew the moment I saw Jason, he was the one for me, ask Silena Beauregard, she was there when I met him. I told her I was going to marry that man someday." Piper stated. "The same thing could happen to Annabeth."

But where did that leave people like Piper? She met Jason back in high school, and somehow she knew they were supposed to live their lives together. Nine years later and there's an engagement party and wedding planned for fall. She tightened the shoes around her feet.

"Look, now she's thinking too hard about it." Thalia grabbed a choker and turned to Annabeth. "Don't worry about meeting some soulmate or 'the one' or what other crap Pipes is talking about," she said rolling her eyes, " you go out there and meet some men, and have some fun. Have sex and break hearts, you're still in college, it's only normal." She turned arount grabbing her wallet.

"Awe, you're like the mother I never had" Annabeth gushed grabbing her purse.

"Here," Thalia tossed her wallet, "carry that for me I'm not storing it in my bra."

"Hey what am I, chopped liver?" An indignant Piper called out finish her lip stick.

"Nah, just my beauty assistant." Annabeth winked closing her purse and headed out the door the other two trailing behind, Piper locking up.

"Well at least I make you look fabulous." Piper stated as they all piled into the her car.

The drive wasn't long to Jason's house where the party was taking place. While stopped at a red light, Piper suddenly burst out. "I am so excited for the wedding. Can you believe we got a booking at Aphrodite's Haven for the Ceremony and Olympus Plaza for the reception. It's like a dream come true. Jason pulled some strings and I couldn't be happier. He really is perfect."

The Olympus Plaza was the number one listed location for weddings. It had twelve sub units dedicated to the twelve greek gods ranging from Demeter's Garden to Hades' Temple. Annabeth personally wanted to get married in Athena's Gazebo. It was outside surrounded by archways styled like the Parthenon olive trees and then in the middle a clearing with a wooden gazebo under which the bride and groom would stand.

As Thalia and Piper delve into discussion of wedding plans, Annabeth thinks back to who might be the groom under that gazebo with her. Would she know who it was years before they proposed? What if they already met and she missed her chance, will she have to settle for the next best thing? How do you tell? How do you know? You can't base such a life changing decision on feeling, can you? It worked out for Piper, maybe it'll work out for Annabeth too.

They pull up to Jason's house, a large white mansion along the beach. Music is flowing from the back patio where the pool is. The girls park the car and ring the door bell. A few moments later the door opens to a blond haired man with blue eyes and a small scar on edge of his lips.

"Ladies," Jason greets with a charming smile, opening the door wider. "Piper..." He gives her a softer smile and a quick kiss. As she whispers her own greeting, Thalia gags as she passes and Annabeth laughs right behind her. They head toward the patio door leading to the pool and the party.

"I suppose the Stoll brothers are going to try some prank with the pool" Annabeth wonders aloud.

"Probably, or perhaps made some special brownies." Thalia concluded eyeing the snacks. "If you want to keep your perfect clean slate Annie, I would stay away from those."

"Duly noted, I'm going to go find Grover, he said he'd be here and I haven't talked to him in a while." Annabeth turned to leave searching the crowds.

"He's probably looking for enchiladas in Jason's fridge or snogging Juniper," Thalia responded and then disappeared from sight.

Annabeth wandered back into the house searching for Grover after checking the kitchen, living room and game room she decided to check the back patio one more time before giving up and deducing he's

having a little too much fun with his girlfriend.

"Oh, hey Annabeth there's someone I want you to meet. He's a good friend of mine and gonna be the best man at the wedding." Jason intercepted Annabeth.

"Where is he?"

"He was right here, let me go find him real fast." Jason turned his head back in forth in search of the mystery person.

"Well I was on my way to find Grover, send him to the pool if you find him." As she turned back to the patio door someone crashed into her side knocking her over. Who ever they were, changed their positions and Annabeth ended up landing onto their chest then the floor. She groaned upon her knees making hard contact with the floor and looked into the face of her crash lander. She stopped suddenly.

Two of the most beautiful green eyes stared back at her. Jason's voice rang through her ears.

"He's the one you're looking for."


End file.
